A priest in charge of protecting children in a rural diocese in Northern Ireland has been forced to resign over a child abuse case filed against another priest under his authority.

A report by the daily Irish Examiner stated that Fr. Bermingham, in charge of the Diocese of Cloyne in County Cork, had received a note from a woman claiming abuse by a priest under his ministration. Bermingham had hushed up the matter and let his colleague know about the note before referring him to the police.

Bermingham said he had immediately turned in the abuse statement which he received in May 2009 to the police and the Health Service Executive in the Irish Republic.

He claimed, however, that he had informed the accused of the details of the case based on the Catholic Church's guidelines.

Cloyne was at the center of another child abuse scandal earlier in 2010, which saw the Pope accept the resignation of the diocese's former Bishop John Magee.

Bishop Magee had walked out in March 2009 following revelations of his mishandling of another child abuse case.